I'd like to say a word to you before we separate," said the man who
had trapped them. "I guess we may not meet again until you see me on
the stand in the courthouse. I'll give you something to think over
between now and then. You know me now for what I am. At last I can put
my cards on the table. I am Birdy Edwards of Pinkerton's. I was chosen
to break up your gang. I had a hard and dangerous game to play. Not a
soul, not one soul, not my nearest and dearest, knew that I was playing
it. Only Captain Marvin here and my employers knew that. But it's over
to-night, thank God, and I am the winner!"

The seven pale, rigid faces looked up at him. There was unappeasable
hatred in their eyes. He read the relentless threat.

"Maybe you think that the game is not over yet. Well, I take my chance
of that. Anyhow, some of you will take no further hand, and there are
sixty more besides yourselves that will see a jail this night. I'll
tell you this, that when I was put upon this job I never believed there
was such a society as yours. I thought it was paper talk, and that I
would prove it so. They told me it was to do with the Freemen; so I
went to Chicago and was made one. Then I was surer than ever that it
was just paper talk; for I found no harm in the society, but a deal of
good.

"Still, I had to carry out my job, and I came to the coal valleys. When
I reached this place I learned that I was wrong and that it wasn't a
dime novel after all. So I stayed to look after it. I never killed a
man in Chicago. I never minted a dollar in my life. Those I gave you
were as good as any others; but I never spent money better. But I knew
the way into your good wishes and so I pretended to you that the law
was after me. It all worked just as I thought.

"So I joined your infernal lodge, and I took my share in your councils.
Maybe they will say that I was as bad as you. They can say what they
like, so long as I get you. But what is the truth? The night I joined
you beat up old man Stanger. I could not warn him, for there was no
time; but I held your hand, Baldwin, when you would have killed him. If
ever I have suggested things, so as to keep my place among you, they
were things which I knew I could prevent. I could not save Dunn and
Menzies, for I did not know enough; but I will see that their murderers
are hanged. I gave Chester Wilcox warning, so that when I blew his
house in he and his folk were in hiding. There was many a crime that I
cou